Sūrat al-Ḥajj

سورۃ الحج

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ

Yā ayyuhā al-nāsu ittaqū rabbakum inna zalzalata al-sāʿati shayʾun ʿaẓīm

O humankind! Fear your Lord. Verily the trembling of the Hour is a tremendous thing. (al-Ḥajj 22:1)

Translation: O people! Fear your Lord — for the trembling of the Day of Resurrection is a most awesome and terrible event.

Commentary: This sūra opens with a universal address to all of humanity, commanding God-consciousness (taqwā). The divine legislation here issues a stern warning: the earthquake (zalzala) that will strike on the Day of Judgement is unlike any tremor known in the world. The earth itself will quake with an unimaginable violence, and every creature upon it will be overwhelmed. The description shayʾun ʿaẓīm — "a tremendous thing" — signals that its severity surpasses all ordinary calamities. The scholars note that this is one of the very few āyāt of the Qurʾān that begin with a direct address to all humankind rather than to believers alone, indicating that the warning of the Hour pertains to every soul regardless of faith.

يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ

Yawma tarawnahā tadhalu kullu murḍiʿatin ʿammā arḍaʿat wa taḍaʿu kullu dhāti ḥamlin ḥamlahā wa tarā al-nāsa sukārā wa mā hum bisukārā wa lākinna ʿadhāba allāhi shadīd

On the day you behold it, every nursing mother shall be distracted from what she nurses, and every pregnant woman shall miscarry her burden, and you shall see humankind as if intoxicated — yet they are not intoxicated — but the chastisement of Allah is severe. (al-Ḥajj 22:2)

Translation: On that day when you witness that trembling, every suckling mother will abandon the infant she is nursing out of sheer terror; every pregnant woman will cast her burden before its time; and you will see people moving about as though drunk — yet they are not drunk at all — but the punishment of Allah is indeed severe.

Commentary: This āya paints a harrowing picture of the Day of Resurrection. The two most powerful natural bonds — a mother's attachment to her nursing child and a pregnant woman's bond to the child in her womb — will be severed by the overwhelming terror. These are offered as the most vivid human metaphors for total disorientation and helplessness. The apparent intoxication of people on that day is not from wine but from the shattering enormity of what they face. The verse concludes by affirming the root cause: ʿadhābu allāhi shadīd — the punishment of Allah is severe. The purpose of this description, as the author explains, is to make one reflect: if the mere approach and manifestation of the Hour can reduce humanity to this condition, how terrible must the actual reckoning and punishment be for those who denied it?

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَانٍ مَّرِيدٍ

Wa mina al-nāsi man yujādilu fī allāhi bighayri ʿilmin wa yattabiʿu kulla shayṭānin marīd

And among humankind there are those who dispute about Allah without knowledge, and follow every rebellious devil. (al-Ḥajj 22:3)

Translation: And among the people there are those who argue about Allah — concerning His essence and attributes — without any knowledge whatsoever, and they follow every insolent, rebellious devil.

Commentary: This verse identifies a recurring danger: theological disputation (mujādala) undertaken without knowledge, grounded not in revelation and sound learning but in vain conjecture and the promptings of Shayṭān. The word marīd (rebellious, insolent) denotes a devil of the most extreme defiance. Those who follow such fiends in arguing about the divine nature without any grounding in ʿilm are warned of their spiritual peril.

كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ مَنْ تَوَلَّاهُ فَأَنَّهُ يُضِلُّهُ وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَى عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ

Kutiba ʿalayhi annahu man tawallāhu fa-annahu yuḍilluhū wa yahdīhi ilā ʿadhābi al-saʿīr

It has been decreed concerning him that whosoever takes him as a patron, he will lead that person astray and guide him to the punishment of the Blaze. (al-Ḥajj 22:4)

Translation: It has been decreed and recorded — in the preserved Tablet and in the heavenly books — that whoever takes Shayṭān as his patron and ally, Shayṭān will lead him into misguidance and perdition and guide him toward the torment of the raging Fire.

Commentary: The word kutiba ("it is written") signals a divinely ordained and irrevocable decree: whoever befriends and follows Shayṭān will be led astray. Al-saʿīr is one of the names of Hell, signifying a fire that blazes intensely. The verse warns that to follow the devil in theological speculation without knowledge is not a neutral intellectual exercise but a path that terminates in the Fire.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ

Yā ayyuhā al-nāsu in kuntum fī raybin mina al-baʿthi fa-innā khalaqnākum min turābin thumma min nuṭfatin thumma min ʿalaqatin thumma min muḍghatin mukhallaqatin wa ghayri mukhallaqah

O humankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then [know that] We created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, then from a blood-clot, then from a lump of flesh, formed and unformed. (al-Ḥajj 22:5)

Translation: O people! If you are in doubt and uncertainty regarding the resurrection and the life after death — then reflect! We created you from dust, then from a drop of seminal fluid, then from a clot of blood, then from a lump of flesh, some of it fully formed and some not yet fully formed.

Commentary: Having warned of the trembling of the Hour, Allah now addresses those who doubt resurrection by directing their attention to the miracle of their own creation. The sequence of embryological stages — dust (turāb), seminal fluid (nuṭfa), blood-clot (ʿalaqa), lump of flesh (muḍgha) — constitutes a rational proof that the One who brought a human being into existence from nothing and through these stages is fully capable of restoring life after death. The distinction between mukhallaqatin (fully formed) and ghayri mukhallaqatin (not fully formed) refers to the variety of outcomes in the womb: some embryos develop completely while others result in miscarriage at an incomplete stage of development. Both types confirm the divine power over life and its stages.

Commentary (continued): The author (may Allah have mercy on him) elaborates: Subhānallāh — how magnificent is this divine argument! From morning to evening we observe the cycle of birth, growth and death throughout the natural world. Is the resurrection then difficult for the One who originated all of this? In the world we see the wicked thriving and the pious suffering, and vice versa — hence divine justice necessitates a Day of Reckoning where each person receives their exact recompense. In khayran fa-khayr, in sharran fa-sharr — if good, then good; if evil, then evil. It is thus absolutely certain that the Last Day will come and that Allah Most High will recompense every soul according to its deeds. And it is evident that creating afresh is no more difficult than creating for the first time.

وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهَا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْعَثُ مَن فِي الْقُبُورِ

Wa inna al-sāʿata ātiyatun lā rayba fīhā wa anna allāha yabʿathu man fī al-qubūr

And verily the Hour is coming — there is no doubt in it — and verily Allah will raise up those who are in the graves. (al-Ḥajj 22:7)

Translation: And truly the Hour is certainly coming; there is absolutely no doubt in it. And indeed Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves.

Commentary: This is the decisive affirmation following the embryological proof. The Hour is a certainty; the resurrection of every person buried in their grave is a certainty. There is no room for doubt.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُّنِيرٍ

Wa mina al-nāsi man yujādilu fī allāhi bighayri ʿilmin wa lā hudan wa lā kitābin munīr

And among humankind are those who dispute about Allah without knowledge, without guidance, and without an illuminating book. (al-Ḥajj 22:8)

Translation: And among people there are those who argue about Allah — about His divine essence and attributes — without any knowledge, without any guidance, and without any illuminating scripture.

Commentary: The repetition of the theme of vain theological disputation emphasises its gravity. The threefold negation — without knowledge (ʿilm), without divine guidance (hudā), and without any revealed luminous scripture (kitāb munīr) — indicates that such a person has no legitimate basis whatsoever for their position.

ثَانِيَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ

Thāniya ʿiṭfihi li-yuḍilla ʿan sabīli allāhi lahu fī al-dunyā khizyun wa lahu fī al-ākhirati ʿadhābu al-ḥarīq

Turning his side [in arrogance] to lead [people] astray from the path of Allah — for him in this world is disgrace, and for him in the Hereafter is the punishment of the burning Fire. (al-Ḥajj 22:9)

Translation: Such a person turns away arrogantly, with contempt, to mislead people from the path of Allah — for him in this world is humiliation and disgrace, and in the Hereafter is the chastisement of the scorching fire.

Commentary: Thāniya ʿiṭfihi — literally "twisting his flank" — is an Arabic idiom for haughty, arrogant dismissal. This person does not merely err through ignorance; he actively seeks to misguide others from the way of Allah. The divine retribution operates in both realms: worldly disgrace (khizy) and the punishing fire of the Hereafter.

ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ

Dhālika bimā qaddamat yadāka wa anna allāha laysa bi-ẓallāmin lil-ʿabīd

That is on account of what your own hands have sent forward, and verily Allah is not unjust to His servants. (al-Ḥajj 22:10)

Translation: This punishment is due to what your own hands have sent ahead — these are the consequences of your own deeds and actions — and Allah is never unjust to His servants.

Commentary: The punishment is just, for it proceeds from the person's own choices and actions. Wa anna allāha laysa bi-ẓallāmin lil-ʿabīd — Allah does not wrong His servants even by a hair's breadth. He will give each person their exact due. This is the Maturīdī position: Allah acts with perfect justice, and there is absolute wisdom in every divine decree.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

Wa mina al-nāsi man yaʿbudu allāha ʿalā ḥarfin fa-in aṣābahu khayrun iṭmaʾanna bihi wa in aṣābathu fitnatun inqalaba ʿalā wajhihi khasira al-dunyā wa al-ākhirata dhālika huwa al-khusrānu al-mubīn

And among the people is one who worships Allah on the very edge — if good fortune comes to him he is content with it, but if a trial strikes him he turns back on his face. He loses both this world and the Hereafter — that is the manifest loss. (al-Ḥajj 22:11)

Translation: And among the people is one who worships Allah precariously, as if standing on the edge of a sword. If he encounters prosperity and benefit he is satisfied and remains. But if a trial or affliction befalls him, he turns away and apostatises. Such a person has lost both this world and the Hereafter — and that is the most evident and total loss.

Commentary: The phrase ʿalā ḥarfin — "on an edge" or "on the brink" — perfectly captures the conditional, fragile faith of this type of person: his religion lasts only as long as things go well. He stands at the frontier of faith, ready to fall off at the first hardship. The spiritual medicine for such a condition is firmly grounding oneself in the conviction that this world is a place of trial and that the real abode is the Hereafter.

يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ

Yadʿū min dūni allāhi mā lā yaḍurruhū wa mā lā yanfaʿuhū dhālika huwa al-ḍalālu al-baʿīd

He calls, apart from Allah, upon what can neither harm him nor benefit him — that is the far-gone misguidance. (al-Ḥajj 22:12)

Translation: He invokes, besides Allah, that which can neither harm him nor help him. That is the far-reaching, extreme misguidance.

Commentary: The one who abandons true faith reaches out for false objects of worship that are utterly powerless — neither able to cause any harm nor bestow any benefit. To worship such objects and call upon them is al-ḍalālu al-baʿīd — the most remote and irredeemable form of misguidance.

يَدْعُو لَمَن ضَرُّهُ أَقْرَبُ مِن نَّفْعِهِ لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلَى وَلَبِئْسَ الْعَشِيرُ

Yadʿū laman ḍarruhū aqrabu min nafʿihi la-biʾsa al-mawlā wa la-biʾsa al-ʿashīr

He calls upon one whose harm is closer than his benefit — what a wretched patron and what a wretched intimate companion! (al-Ḥajj 22:13)

Translation: He calls upon that whose harm is closer and more immediate than any benefit — what a vile patron and what a wretched companion for life!

Commentary: If the false object of devotion had any power, it would be more likely to harm than to benefit — since false deities (aṣnām) lead their devotees into shirk, which results in eternal punishment. Al-mawlā (patron, protector) and al-ʿashīr (intimate companion, fellow-traveller through life) are both negated here: such an idol is the worst possible patron and the worst possible life-companion.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

Inna allāha yudkhilu alladhīna āmanū wa ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār

Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds into gardens beneath which rivers flow. (al-Ḥajj 22:14)

Translation: Truly Allah will admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens beneath which rivers run — إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ — indeed Allah does whatever He wills.

Commentary: After the warning, the glad tidings. The contrast is stark: the one who abandoned faith loses both worlds, while the steadfast believer and doer of good is admitted into the gardens of Paradise. The rivers flowing beneath these gardens are among the most frequently recurring images of Paradise in the Qurʾān, signifying perpetual abundance, freshness, and life.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

Inna alladhīna āmanū wa alladhīna hādū wa al-ṣābiʾīna wa al-naṣārā wa al-majūsa wa alladhīna ashrakū inna allāha yafṣilu baynahum yawma al-qiyāmati inna allāha ʿalā kulli shayʾin shahīd

Verily those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Ṣābiʾūn, and the Christians, and the Zoroastrians, and those who associate partners with Allah — Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is Witness over all things. (al-Ḥajj 22:17)

Translation: Indeed those who have believed, and those who are Jews, and the Ṣābiʾūn, and the Christians, and the Zoroastrians (Majūs), and the polytheists — Allah will pass judgement between them on the Day of Resurrection. Truly Allah is Witness over all things.

Commentary: This verse enumerates the religious communities of the world: the Muslims, the Jews, the Ṣābiʾūn (a group of monotheists between Judaism and Christianity, associated with the followers of certain prophets), the Christians, the Zoroastrians, and the polytheists. All will stand before Allah on the Day of Judgement and He — who is Witness over all things and knows every soul intimately — will deliver the final, just verdict between them.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ

Alam tara anna allāha yasjudu lahu man fī al-samāwāti wa man fī al-arḍi wa al-shamsu wa al-qamaru wa al-nujūmu wa al-jibālu wa al-shajaru wa al-dawābbu wa kathīrun mina al-nāsi wa kathīrun ḥaqqa ʿalayhi al-ʿadhāb

Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and the moving creatures, and many of the people? But many upon whom punishment has been warranted. And whomsoever Allah disgraces, there is none to honour him. Indeed Allah does whatever He wills. (al-Ḥajj 22:18)

Translation: Have you not considered that everything in the heavens and the earth prostrates before Allah in submission — the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the creatures, and many among humankind? Yet many are those upon whom punishment is rightly decreed. And whomsoever Allah humiliates, none can honour him. Verily Allah does whatever He wills.

Commentary: This is a magnificent verse of universal prostration (sujūd). The entire creation — animate and inanimate — bows in submission before its Creator. The sun, moon, stars, mountains, trees, and animals all prostrate through their very nature and operation in accordance with the divine order. Among humans, the believers prostrate willingly; but many refuse and thus bring upon themselves the warranted punishment. This verse contains a sajda tilāwa (an obligation of prostration upon recitation), according to the Ḥanafī school and the view of Imām al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him). [reconstructed: the source notes this is one of the prostration-verses.]

Commentary (continued): The translation continues: all those in the heavens and earth, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, trees, and beasts, and many people — all are in humble submission before Allah. Yet many others have earned punishment. Whoever is disgraced by Allah has no one to honour him. Verily Allah does what He wills. The juristic note: this āya contains a verse of prostration; arrogance before Allah is therefore especially inappropriate.

هَذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُوا فِي رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارٍ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ

Hādhāni khaṣmāni ikhtaṣamū fī rabbihim fa-alladhīna kafarū quṭṭiʿat lahum thiyābun min nārin yuṣabbu min fawqi ruʾūsihimu al-ḥamīm

These are two adversaries who have disputed concerning their Lord. As for those who disbelieved, garments of fire have been tailored for them, and boiling water will be poured down over their heads. (al-Ḥajj 22:19)

Translation: These two groups — the believers and the disbelievers — are adversaries who have clashed and disputed regarding their Lord. As for those who disbelieved, garments of fire have been cut and fitted for them, and scalding boiling water (ḥamīm) will be poured over their heads.

Commentary: The two groups — those who prostrate before Allah in faith and those who reject Him — are locked in fundamental opposition. The consequence for the disbelievers in the Hereafter is vividly described: garments (thiyāb) fashioned from fire, tailored to fit them perfectly, and scalding water poured upon their heads. This is not metaphor but a literal description of the torment of Hell.

يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِي بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ

Yuṣharu bihi mā fī buṭūnihim wa al-julūd

By which whatever is in their bellies and their skins shall be melted. (al-Ḥajj 22:20)

Translation: The scalding water will melt everything within their bellies and their skins.

Commentary: The severity of this punishment surpasses any torment known in the world. The boiling water melts their innards and skins — an image of total, inescapable destruction.

وَلَهُم مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ

Wa lahum maqāmiʿu min ḥadīd

And for them are clubs of iron. (al-Ḥajj 22:21)

Translation: And for them are iron maces and clubs.

Commentary: In addition to the fire-garments and boiling water, the denizens of Hell are beaten with iron maces. Every means of punishment is described to impress upon the reader the utter reality and severity of the divine retribution for disbelief.

كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَن يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ

Kullamā arādū an yakhrujū minhā min ghammin uʿīdū fīhā wa dhūqū ʿadhāba al-ḥarīq

Whenever they desire to escape from it in their anguish they are returned to it: "Taste the punishment of the burning!" (al-Ḥajj 22:22)

Translation: Whenever they attempt to escape from that anguish and torment, they are thrust back into it, and it is said to them: "Taste, taste the punishment of the burning fire!"

Commentary: There is no escape. Every attempt to flee brings only a return to the punishment, accompanied by the taunting command to "taste" — dhūqū — the very torment they sought to flee. The repetition of dhūqū conveys contempt and the finality of their condition.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ

Inna allāha yudkhilu alladhīna āmanū wa ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhāru yuḥallawna fīhā min asāwira min dhahabin wa luʾluʾan wa libāsuhum fīhā ḥarīr

Verily Allah will admit those who believe and perform righteous deeds into gardens beneath which rivers flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl, and their garment therein will be of silk. (al-Ḥajj 22:23)

Translation: Truly Allah will admit the believers and righteous doers into gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned there with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their dress in those gardens will be of pure silk.

Commentary: The description of Paradise follows immediately as a contrast to Hell's horrors — the literary structure of takhwīf (fear) followed by targhīb (hope) is a hallmark of Qurʾānic rhetoric. Gold bracelets, pearls, and silk garments — all of which are prohibited for men in this world by the Sharīʿa — become the adornments of the faithful in Paradise as a sign of the reversal of fortunes and the bounty of Allah Most High.

وَهُدُوا إِلَى الطَّيِّبِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَهُدُوا إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْحَمِيدِ

Wa hudū ilā al-ṭayyibi mina al-qawli wa hudū ilā ṣirāṭi al-ḥamīd

And they were guided to the goodly speech, and they were guided to the path of the All-Praiseworthy. (al-Ḥajj 22:24)

Translation: And they were guided to the finest of speech — lā ilāha illā allāh — and they were guided to the path of the All-Praiseworthy Allah.

Commentary: The ṭayyib min al-qawl (the goodly, wholesome speech) is understood by the commentators to refer to tawḥīd, the declaration of divine unity — lā ilāha illā allāh — and praise of Allah. In the world they followed the straight path of the Praised One (Ṣirāṭ al-Ḥamīd); in the Hereafter they are rewarded with entry into Paradise and adorned with its finest gifts.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ الَّذِي جَعَلْنَاهُ لِلنَّاسِ سَوَاءً الْعَاكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُّذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Inna alladhīna kafarū wa yaṣuddūna ʿan sabīli allāhi wa al-masjidi al-ḥarāmi alladhī jaʿalnāhu lil-nāsi sawāʾan al-ʿākifu fīhi wa al-bādi wa man yurid fīhi bi-ilḥādin bi-ẓulmin nudhiqhu min ʿadhābin alīm

Verily those who disbelieve and bar [people] from the path of Allah and from the Sacred Mosque — which We have made equally for all people, whether the dweller therein or the visitor from afar — and whoever intends therein to deviate wrongfully from the right, We shall make him taste a painful chastisement. (al-Ḥajj 22:25)

Translation: Indeed those who disbelieve and who bar people from the path of Allah and from the Sacred Mosque — which We have appointed as a place of equality for all people, whether the one who resides there or the one who comes from afar — and whoever intends to commit any act of deviation and wrongdoing within it, We shall cause him to taste a grievous punishment.

Commentary: The Sacred Mosque in Mecca (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) and the Kaʿba have a unique status: they belong equally to all who come to them — residents (ʿākifīn) and visitors (bādī) alike. No one may be barred from it or exploited within it. The Quraysh had barred the Prophet Muḥammadﷺand the Muslims from the Masjid al-Ḥarām; this verse condemns that act and extends the warning to all who would commit transgression (ilḥād bi-ẓulm) within the sanctuary. The Ḥanafī jurists and commentators note that this verse establishes the inviolability (ḥurma) of Mecca and its special sanctity.

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

Wa idh bawwaʾnā li-Ibrāhīma makāna al-bayti an lā tushrika bī shayʾan wa ṭahhir baytiya lil-ṭāʾifīna wa al-qāʾimīna wa al-rukkaʿi al-sujūd

And when We assigned for Ibrāhīm the site of the House, [saying]: "Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who stand [in prayer], and those who bow and prostrate." (al-Ḥajj 22:26)

Translation: And remember when We assigned to Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) the location of the Sacred House, commanding him: "Associate nothing with Me as a partner, and keep My House pure and clean for those who perform circumambulation (ṭawāf), and those who stand in prayer, and those who bow (rukūʿ) and prostrate (sujūd)."

Commentary: This āya recalls the foundational moment when Allah Most High designated the site of the Kaʿba for the Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) and charged him with its purification and maintenance. The threefold command concerns the key acts of ʿibāda performed there: ṭawāf (circumambulation), qiyām (standing in prayer), and rukūʿ wa sujūd (bowing and prostration). The command an lā tushrika bī shayʾan — "associate nothing with Me" — is the prerequisite: pure monotheism (tawḥīd) is the foundation upon which the House of Allah stands.

وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَى كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ

Wa adhdhin fī al-nāsi bil-ḥajji yaʾtūka rijālan wa ʿalā kulli ḍāmirin yaʾtīna min kulli fajjin ʿamīq

And proclaim the Ḥajj among the people; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, coming from every deep, distant mountain pass. (al-Ḥajj 22:27)

Translation: And call out to the people regarding the Ḥajj; they will come to you on foot and mounted on every lean, worn camel, arriving from every distant and deep road and mountain pass.

Commentary: Allah Most High commanded the Prophet Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) to make the proclamation of the Ḥajj — and the response has been, ever since, an outpouring of humanity from every corner of the earth. The ḍāmir is a camel worn lean from long journeying. Fajj ʿamīq — "deep, distant roads" — indicates that people come from the farthest reaches of the world. The classical commentators note that when Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) made this proclamation in obedience to Allah's command, his voice reached all future generations who would be destined to perform the Ḥajj, and they heard it and responded.

لِيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ وَيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ

Li-yashadū manāfiʿa lahum wa yadhkurū isma allāhi fī ayyāmin maʿlūmātin ʿalā mā razaqahum min bahīmati al-anʿāmi fa-kulū minhā wa aṭʿimū al-bāʾisa al-faqīr

That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over the livestock He has provided them. So eat thereof and feed the miserable and poor. (al-Ḥajj 22:28)

Translation: So that they may witness the spiritual and worldly benefits appointed for them, and so that they may pronounce the name of Allah during the known days over the animals He has provided them from the livestock. Eat thereof, and feed the wretched poor.

Commentary: The ayyām maʿlūmāt (known days) are the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijja according to the majority of scholars, and particularly the days of sacrifice (al-Nahr) and the Tashrīq days following it. The animals (bahīmat al-anʿām — domesticated livestock: camels, cattle, and sheep) are slaughtered in the name of Allah. The meat is to be shared: eaten by the sacrificer, given to the destitute poor, and distributed to all. This establishes the communal and charitable dimension of the sacrifice at Ḥajj.

ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا تَفَثَهُمْ وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَهُمْ وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ

Thumma lyaqḍū tafathahum wa lyūfū nudhūrahum wa lyaṭṭawwafū bil-bayti al-ʿatīq

Then let them complete their prescribed duties, fulfil their vows, and circumambulate the Ancient House. (al-Ḥajj 22:29)

Translation: Then after the sacrifice, let the pilgrims complete the rites of purification — removing the pilgrim's state of iḥrām, clipping the hair, and removing the marks of travel — and let them fulfil their vows and perform the circumambulation of the Ancient House (al-Bayt al-ʿAtīq).

Commentary: Tafath refers to the acts of ritual completion after the main rites of Ḥajj: clipping the hair or shaving the head, removing iḥrām, cutting the nails, and similar rites. The nāfila vows that some pilgrims have made must also be fulfilled. Finally, ṭawāf al-ifāḍa — the obligatory circumambulation of the Kaʿba — must be performed. Al-Bayt al-ʿAtīq means "the Ancient House" — ancient in time, or alternatively, freed and immune from tyrannical ownership, for no oppressor has ever been able to possess it permanently.

ذَلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ

Dhālika wa man yuʿaẓẓim ḥurumāti allāhi fa-huwa khayrun lahu ʿinda rabbihi wa uḥillat lakumu al-anʿāmu illā mā yutlā ʿalaykum fa-ijtanibū al-rijsa mina al-awthāni wa ijtanibū qawla al-zūr

That [is so]. And whoever venerates the sacred rites of Allah, that is better for him with his Lord. And livestock have been made lawful for you, except that which is recited to you. So avoid the filth of idols, and avoid false speech. (al-Ḥajj 22:30)

Translation: That is the command. And whoever venerates and honours the sanctities and sacred rites of Allah, that is better for him in the sight of his Lord. Livestock have been made lawful for you, except what has been specifically recited to you as forbidden. Therefore, shun the filth of idols and shun false speech.

Commentary: The sacred rites of Ḥajj — the sacrifices, the circumambulation, the standing at ʿArafāt — are collectively called ḥurumāt allāh (the sacred boundaries of Allah). Their veneration is a sign of taqwā of the heart. The lawfulness of livestock (camels, cattle, sheep, goats) for eating and sacrifice is confirmed, with the exception of what is specifically prohibited (as recited elsewhere in the Qurʾān: carrion, blood, pork, animals slaughtered in other than Allah's name, etc.). The specific dual prohibition at the end — rijsu al-awthān (filth of idols) and qawl al-zūr (false speech, which includes false oaths, false testimony, and ascribing partners to Allah) — are juxtaposed because both involve a fundamental departure from truth.

حُنَفَاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ بِهِ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتَخْطَفُهُ الطَّيْرُ أَوْ تَهْوِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي مَكَانٍ سَحِيقٍ

Ḥunafāʾa lillāhi ghayra mushrikīna bihi wa man yushrik billāhi fa-kaʾannamā kharra mina al-samāʾi fa-takhtaṭifuhu al-ṭayru aw tahwī bihi al-rīḥu fī makānin saḥīq

Being true of faith to Allah, without associating partners with Him; and whoever associates partners with Allah is as one who has fallen from the sky and the birds snatch him away, or the wind hurls him to a remote place. (al-Ḥajj 22:31)

Translation: Being sincere monotheists (ḥunafāʾ) toward Allah, without associating any partner with Him. For whoever associates partners with Allah is as if he had fallen from the sky and the birds snatch pieces of him, or the wind carries him to a far distant place.

Commentary: Ḥunafāʾ (singular: ḥanīf) means those who incline exclusively and sincerely toward true monotheism, turning away from all else. The simile for shirk is vivid and haunting: the one who falls from the sky is utterly helpless — birds tear him apart, or the gale-force wind hurls him to a desolate and unreachable place. There is no ground beneath his feet, no support, no path to safety. This is the spiritual condition of the polytheist: utterly untethered from truth and hurtling toward destruction.

ذَلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

Dhālika wa man yuʿaẓẓim shaʿāʾira allāhi fa-innahā min taqwā al-qulūb

That [is so]. And whoever venerates the symbols of Allah — verily that is from the piety of hearts. (al-Ḥajj 22:32)

Translation: That is so. And whoever venerates and exalts the sacred symbols of Allah (shaʿāʾir allāh) — the sacrificial animals and rites — that veneration proceeds from the taqwā (God-consciousness, piety) of the heart.

Commentary: The shaʿāʾir allāh (the signs and symbols of Allah) include the sacrificial animals (hadī, budn), the hills of Ṣafā and Marwa, and the rites of Ḥajj more broadly. The verse establishes the spiritual root: outward reverence for these rites is a manifestation of inward taqwā. You have been fully informed of all this.

لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ مَحِلُّهَا إِلَى الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ

Lakum fīhā manāfiʿu ilā ajalin musamman thumma maḥilluhā ilā al-bayti al-ʿatīq

There are benefits for you in them [the sacrificial animals] until a specified term, then their place of sacrifice is at the Ancient House. (al-Ḥajj 22:33)

Translation: The sacrificial animals are of benefit to you — you may ride them, drink their milk, and utilise their produce — up to a designated time [before the sacrifice]. Then their appointed place of sacrifice is near the Ancient House.

Commentary: The sacrificial camels and cattle designated as hadī for the Ḥajj are not merely symbols; they carry practical benefit (manāfiʿ) right up to the moment of their sacrifice — their milk may be drunk, their wool used. But ultimately their appointed fulfilment (maḥill) is near the Sacred House of Allah in Mecca.

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَى مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ فَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ

Wa li-kulli ummatin jaʿalnā mansakan li-yadhkurū isma allāhi ʿalā mā razaqahum min bahīmati al-anʿāmi fa-ilāhukum ilāhun wāḥidun fa-lahu aslimū wa bashshiri al-mukhbitīn

And for every community We have appointed a rite of sacrifice, that they may mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided them. Your God is one God; so surrender to Him. And give glad tidings to the humble. (al-Ḥajj 22:34)

Translation: For every community and nation We have ordained a rite and way of worship and sacrifice, so that they may take the name of Allah over the livestock He has bestowed upon them. Your God is one God — so submit yourselves in obedience to Him, embrace Islam. And give glad tidings to the mukhbitīn — those who humble themselves before Allah.

Commentary: Mansak denotes both the rite of sacrifice and the broader pattern of worship. Every prophetic community had its own manner of drawing near to Allah through the sacrifice of livestock. All pointed toward the one God. The universal message is: fa-lahu aslimū — surrender entirely to Him alone; make your Islam complete. The mukhbitīn are those who are truly humble, tranquil, and submissive before Allah — their hearts bowed before their Lord even before their foreheads touch the ground.

الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

Alladhīna idhā dhukira allāhu wajilat qulūbuhum wa al-ṣābirīna ʿalā mā aṣābahum wa al-muqīmī al-ṣalāti wa mimmā razaqnāhum yunfiqūn

Those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and who are patient over whatever has struck them, and who establish the prayer, and who spend from what We have provided them. (al-Ḥajj 22:35)

Translation: The mukhbitīn are those whose hearts tremble with awe and reverence when Allah's name is mentioned; who are steadfast in patience over whatever afflictions befall them; who establish the ṣalāt with care and regularity; and who spend in charity from what We have provided them.

Commentary: This is a fourfold description of the truly humble servant of Allah: (1) wajal — trembling awe at the mention of Allah; (2) ṣabr — patient endurance of trials and hardships; (3) iqāmat al-ṣalāt — scrupulous observance of the prescribed prayers; (4) infāq — charitable giving from their divinely bestowed provisions. These are the hallmarks of the believer described throughout the Qurʾān and ḥadīth literature.

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Wa al-budna jaʿalnāhā lakum min shaʿāʾiri allāhi lakum fīhā khayrun fa-dhkurū isma allāhi ʿalayhā ṣawāffa fa-idhā wajabat junūbuhā fa-kulū minhā wa aṭʿimū al-qāniʿa wa al-muʿtarra kadhālika sakhkharnāhā lakum laʿallakum tashkurūn

And the sacrificial camels (budn) — We have made them for you among the symbols of Allah; there is much good for you in them. So mention the name of Allah over them as they stand in a row. When their flanks fall [after slaughter], eat from them and feed the contented poor and the beseeching poor. Thus have We made them subservient to you, that you may be grateful. (al-Ḥajj 22:36)

Translation: And the budn — the sacrificial camels (and by extension, cattle) — We have appointed them for you as part of the sacred symbols (shaʿāʾir) of Allah; in them there is great good for you. So pronounce the name of Allah over them as they stand in line. When their flanks have fallen [after slaughter], eat from them and feed the qāniʿ — the dignified poor who does not beg openly — and the muʿtarr — the one who comes and asks. Thus have We made these animals subservient to you so that you may be grateful.

Commentary: Al-budn refers specifically to sacrificial camels. They are slaughtered standing in a row (ṣawāff), which is the Sunnah of sacrifice during Ḥajj. The distribution of meat encompasses the sacrificer himself, the qāniʿ (the one who is content with whatever is given him, or the one who approaches with restraint), and the muʿtarr (the one who comes asking, or the needy visitor). The subjugation (taskhīr) of these large animals to the purposes of human worship and charity is itself a sign demanding gratitude (shukr).

لَن يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنكُمْ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Lan yanāla allāha luḥūmuhā wa lā dimāʾuhā wa lākin yanāluhu al-taqwā minkum kadhālika sakhkharahā lakum li-tukabbirū allāha ʿalā mā hadākum wa bashshiri al-muḥsinīn

Their flesh will not reach Allah, nor their blood — but what reaches Him is the piety from you. Thus has He subjected them to you, that you may glorify Allah for having guided you. And give glad tidings to the doers of good. (al-Ḥajj 22:37)

Translation: Neither the flesh of the sacrificial animals nor their blood reaches Allah — it is your taqwā (piety, God-consciousness) that reaches Him. Thus has He made them subservient to you, so that you may proclaim Allāhu Akbar in gratitude for the guidance He has given you. And give glad tidings to the muḥsinīn — the excellent and sincere doers of good.

Commentary: This is one of the most important verses in the entire discourse on sacrifice and worship. It emphatically corrects any misunderstanding that Allah desires the flesh or blood of animals. What matters is the intention and the sincerity of heart — the taqwā. The sacrifice is an outward expression of inward devotion; without taqwā, it is empty form. The verse then commands takbīr (the glorification of Allah — Allāhu Akbar) as a further act of gratitude for divine guidance. This is the basis for the takbīrāt-e-tashārīq recited during the days of Ḥajj.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ

Inna allāha yudāfiʿu ʿani alladhīna āmanū inna allāha lā yuḥibbu kulla khawwānin kafūr

Verily Allah defends those who believe. Verily Allah does not love any treacherous and ungrateful person. (al-Ḥajj 22:38)

Translation: Truly Allah repels and defends against harm on behalf of the believers. Indeed Allah does not love any treacherous, disloyal, and ungrateful person.

Commentary: This is a divine promise of protection. Allah Most High Himself takes up the defence of His believing servants against their enemies. Khawwān (the habitual betrayer, the treacherous one) and kafūr (the exceedingly ungrateful, deeply disbelieving) are two qualities that earn divine displeasure. The Muslims in Mecca endured years of persecution and harm from the Quraysh; this verse assures them that Allah is their ultimate protector.

أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ

Udhina lil-ladhīna yuqātalūna bi-annahum ẓulimū wa inna allāha ʿalā naṣrihim la-qadīr

Permission has been given to those who are fought against because they have been wronged — and verily Allah is most capable of giving them victory. (al-Ḥajj 22:39)

Translation: Permission to fight back has been granted to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged and oppressed. And surely Allah is fully capable of granting them victory.

Commentary: This is widely considered the first verse of the Qurʾān permitting armed defence in response to persecution — the verse that authorised jihād (sacred struggle) in the sense of armed conflict. The historical context: the Muslims had endured years of persecution in Mecca. When they emigrated to Medina and became a polity capable of self-defence, this permission was revealed. The foundation of this permission is ẓulm — the injustice perpetrated against them. And the assurance follows immediately: inna allāha ʿalā naṣrihim la-qadīr — Allah is absolutely capable of granting them victory.

الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيَارِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَن يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ

Alladhīna ukhrijū min diyārihim bighayri ḥaqqin illā an yaqūlū rabbunā allāh

Those who were expelled from their homes without right — only because they said: "Our Lord is Allah." (al-Ḥajj 22:40)

Translation: The believers who were driven out from their homes without any justification — their only "crime" being that they said: "Our Lord is Allah."

Commentary: The expelled believers are described with this heart-rending portrait: they lost their homes, their property, their community — for no offence other than the declaration of divine unity. Rabbunā allāh — "Our Lord is Allah" — is the essence of Islam. That this should be grounds for expulsion and persecution reveals the moral bankruptcy of those who perpetrated it.

Commentary (continued): The verse continues: if it were not for Allah's enabling some people to repel others, monasteries (ṣawāmiʿ, the places of Christian monks), churches (biyaʿ, Christian places of worship), synagogues (ṣalawāt, Jewish houses of prayer), and mosques — where the name of Allah is abundantly invoked — would all have been demolished. Allah surely aids those who aid His cause. He is All-Powerful, All-Mighty. This passage — one of the most remarkable in the Qurʾān — affirms that the divine protection extends not only to mosques but, through the principle of religious freedom and resistance to tyranny, even to the houses of worship of the other Abrahamic faiths. Were tyranny allowed to prevail unchecked, all houses of God would be destroyed. The defence of religion is itself a universal divine purpose.

الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ

Alladhīna in makkannāhum fī al-arḍi aqāmū al-ṣalāta wa ātawū al-zakāta wa amarū bil-maʿrūfi wa nahaw ʿani al-munkari wa lillāhi ʿāqibatu al-umūr

Those who, if We establish them in the land, establish the prayer, give the zakāt, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong. To Allah belongs the outcome of all affairs. (al-Ḥajj 22:41)

Translation: These are those whom, if We establish and grant authority to them in the land, they will establish the ṣalāt, pay the zakāt, command what is right (amr bil-maʿrūf), and forbid what is wrong (nahy ʿani al-munkar). And to Allah belongs the final outcome of all matters.

Commentary: This verse defines the obligations of a Muslim polity once established in power. The four duties are: (1) iqāmat al-ṣalāt — maintaining the prayer in its full public and congregational form; (2) giving the zakāt — the wealth purification tax; (3) enjoining the good (maʿrūf); (4) forbidding the reprehensible (munkar). Wa lillāhi ʿāqibatu al-umūr — the ultimate outcome and the final reckoning of all affairs belong solely to Allah.

وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ

Wa in yukadhdhibūka fa-qad kadhdhabat qablahum qawmu Nūḥin wa ʿĀdun wa Thamūd

And if they deny you, then before them the people of Nūḥ, and ʿĀd, and Thamūd denied [their prophets]. (al-Ḥajj 22:42)

Translation: And if the disbelievers deny you [O Muḥammadﷺ], know that before them the people of Nūḥ (upon him be peace), and the people of ʿĀd, and Thamūd all denied [their respective prophets].

Commentary: This verse provides immense consolation to the Prophetﷺ. Denial of the divine message is not new; it has been the pattern of human history. The proud peoples of the past who denied their prophets — Nūḥ (upon him be peace), Hūd (upon him be peace) and the people of ʿĀd, Ṣāliḥ (upon him be peace) and Thamūd — were all annihilated by divine punishment. The implication is clear: the Quraysh are following a path that has always ended in destruction for those who persist in it.

وَقَوْمُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ

Wa qawmu Ibrāhīma wa qawmu Lūṭ

And the people of Ibrāhīm and the people of Lūṭ. (al-Ḥajj 22:43)

Translation: And the people of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace) and the people of Lūṭ (upon him be peace).

وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَى فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ

Wa aṣḥābu Madyana wa kudhdhiba Mūsā fa-amlaytu lil-kāfirīna thumma akhadhtuhum fa-kayfa kāna nakīr

And the dwellers of Madyan. And Mūsā was denied. Then I gave respite to the disbelievers, then I seized them — so how was My repudiation! (al-Ḥajj 22:44)

Translation: And the people of Madyan [who denied their prophet Shuʿayb, upon him be peace]. And Mūsā (upon him be peace) was denied by Pharaoh. Then I gave the disbelievers a respite — I granted them a delay — then I seized them in punishment. So how was My denunciation and retribution?

Commentary: The litany of destroyed nations continues. Each prophet was denied; Allah gave the deniers respite (amlaytu — I gave them a long rope), but then seized them. Fa-kayfa kāna nakīr — "so how was My rejection [of them]?" — is a rhetorical question designed to make the listener reflect on the terrible fate of those who denied the prophets of Allah. The Quraysh who now deny Muḥammadﷺare warned that they stand in the same position.

فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍ مُّعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَّشِيدٍ

Fa-kaʾayyin min qaryatin ahlaknāhā wa hiya ẓālimatun fa-hiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā wa biʾrin muʿaṭṭalatin wa qaṣrin mashīd

How many a town We have destroyed while it was given to wrongdoing — and it lies in ruins on its very rooftops, and many an abandoned well and lofty palace. (al-Ḥajj 22:45)

Translation: How many towns and settlements We destroyed while they were steeped in wrongdoing and ingratitude! Now they lie collapsed upon their own rooftops — abandoned wells that no one draws from, and towering lofty palaces now standing desolate.

Commentary: The ruins of destroyed civilisations are themselves a standing testimony to divine retribution. The wells are muʿaṭṭala — deserted, useless. The palaces are mashīda — tall, solidly built structures — yet they stand empty, their inhabitants annihilated. The point is directed at the Quraysh: your strength, your wealth, your elaborate constructions will not avail you if you persist in wrongdoing.

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

Afa-lam yasīrū fī al-arḍi fa-takūna lahum qulūbun yaʿqilūna bihā aw ādhānun yasmaʿūna bihā fa-innahā lā taʿmā al-abṣāru wa lākin taʿmā al-qulūbu allatī fī al-ṣudūr

Have they not travelled through the land so that they might have hearts with which to reason, or ears with which to hear? For indeed it is not the eyes that go blind, but it is the hearts within the breasts that go blind. (al-Ḥajj 22:46)

Translation: Have they not journeyed through the land so that they might have hearts with which to understand and reason, or ears with which to hear the truth? For truly it is not the outward eyes that go blind — it is the hearts in the breasts that become blind.

Commentary: This is one of the most psychologically penetrating verses in the Qurʾān. The ruins of destroyed civilisations are there to be seen by any traveller. But seeing with the eye is not enough if the heart is sealed. Lā taʿmā al-abṣāru wa lākin taʿmā al-qulūbu allatī fī al-ṣudūr — the physical sight is intact, but it is the inner eye of the heart (baṣīrat al-qalb) that has gone blind. This spiritual blindness is the true disease.

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ

Wa yastaʿjilūnaka bil-ʿadhābi wa lan yukhlifa allāhu waʿdahu wa inna yawman ʿinda rabbika ka-alfi sanatin mimmā taʿuddūn

And they urge you to hasten the punishment. Allah will never fail in His promise. And verily one day with your Lord is as a thousand years of what you count. (al-Ḥajj 22:47)

Translation: The disbelievers taunt you, urging you to hasten the promised punishment. But Allah will never break His promise — it will come. And truly, one day in the reckoning of your Lord equals a thousand years by human counting.

Commentary: The mockers of Mecca challenged the Prophetﷺ: if punishment is coming, bring it now! The response is twofold: Allah does not break His promises — the punishment will certainly come; and the divine timescale is not the human one. A single day in Allah's reckoning is equivalent to a thousand years by our measure. What seems a long delay to human perception is nothing in the divine scheme.

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

Wa kaʾayyin min qaryatin amlaytu lahā wa hiya ẓālimatun thumma akhadhtuhā wa ilayya al-maṣīr

And how many a town I gave respite to while it was engaged in wrongdoing, then I seized it. And to Me is the [final] destination. (al-Ḥajj 22:48)

Translation: And how many towns I extended respite to while they were steeped in wrongdoing — then I seized them in punishment! And to Me is the ultimate return and destination.

Commentary: The divine delay (imlāʾ — extending respite) is not negligence; it is a final opportunity that, when squandered, culminates in seizure (akhdh). Wa ilayya al-maṣīr — and ultimately every soul returns to Allah for final reckoning.

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Qul yā ayyuhā al-nāsu innamā anā lakum nadhīrun mubīn

Say: "O humankind! I am only to you a clear warner." (al-Ḥajj 22:49)

Translation: Say [O Muḥammadﷺ]: "O people! I am to you only a manifest, clear warner."

Commentary: The Prophetﷺis commanded to define his mission with precision: he is a nadhīr mubīn — a plain, manifest warner. His role is to deliver the message and the warning clearly and completely; the response of the people is their own responsibility.

فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

Fa-alladhīna āmanū wa ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti lahum maghfiratun wa rizqun karīm

Those who believe and do righteous deeds — for them is forgiveness and a noble provision. (al-Ḥajj 22:50)

Translation: Those who believe and perform righteous deeds — for them is forgiveness and a generous, honourable provision [in Paradise].

وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ

Wa alladhīna saʿaw fī āyātinā muʿājizīna ulāʾika aṣḥābu al-jaḥīm

And those who strive against Our signs, seeking to overcome them — those are the companions of the Blaze. (al-Ḥajj 22:51)

Translation: And those who struggle against Our signs, trying to undermine and outmanoeuvre them, seeking to discredit them — they are the companions of Hell.

Commentary: The two groups are starkly contrasted: the believers receive forgiveness and noble provision; the active opponents of divine revelation earn the Blaze (al-jaḥīm). Muʿājizīna — literally "rendering [Allah] unable," which is absurd, but idiomatically means "trying to frustrate or discredit" — describes the intense, aggressive denial of the disbelievers.

The Episode of the Satanic Whisper:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذَا تَمَنَّى أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ اللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

Wa mā arsalnā min qablika min rasūlin wa lā nabiyyin illā idhā tamannā alqā al-shayṭānu fī umniyyatihi fa-yansukhu allāhu mā yulqī al-shayṭānu thumma yuḥkimu allāhu āyātihi wa allāhu ʿalīmun ḥakīm

And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited [or entertained a wish], the devil threw something into his recitation. Then Allah abrogates what the devil throws in, and Allah makes firm His verses. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (al-Ḥajj 22:52)

Translation: We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited or reflected, Shayṭān cast whispers and illusions into his thoughts. Then Allah abrogates and removes what Shayṭān has cast, and Allah makes His verses firm and precise. And Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise.

Commentary: This āya establishes an important theological principle: every prophet and messenger has been subject to Satanic whispering (waswāsa), but Allah in His perfect knowledge and wisdom removes and annuls whatever Shayṭān introduces, and makes the divine revelation (āyāt) firm and inviolable. The author notes: every time We sent any Messenger, Shayṭān tried to introduce confusion into his thoughts and recitation. Allah repels and cancels what Shayṭān casts, and strengthens and makes firm His own revealed words — for Allah knows and is aware of all of Shayṭān's machinations and, in His wisdom, thwarts them.

لِيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ

Li-yajʿala mā yulqī al-shayṭānu fitnatan lil-ladhīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun wa al-qāsiyati qulūbuhum wa inna al-ẓālimīna la-fī shiqāqin baʿīd

So that He may make what the devil throws in a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and those whose hearts are hardened — and verily the wrongdoers are in far-ranging discord. (al-Ḥajj 22:53)

Translation: Allah permits this so that what Shayṭān casts may serve as a trial (fitna) and test for those whose hearts harbour disease — the diseases of shirk, doubt, and disbelief — and for those whose hearts are hardened. Verily the wrongdoers are in a far-reaching and extreme state of schism and discord.

Commentary: The divine wisdom in permitting Satanic whispering is that it serves as a sifter and trial: those whose hearts are diseased with doubt and disbelief, and those whose hearts are hardened, are exposed through their reaction to such whispering — they seize upon it to increase in rejection. The true believers, however, recognise and reject it.

وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ فَتُخْبِتَ لَهُ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

Wa li-yaʿlama alladhīna ūtū al-ʿilma annahu al-ḥaqqu min rabbika fa-yuʾminū bihi fa-tukhbita lahu qulūbuhum wa inna allāha la-hādī alladhīna āmanū ilā ṣirāṭin mustaqīm

And so that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the Truth from your Lord — and they believe in it, and their hearts submit humbly before it. And verily Allah is the Guide of those who believe to a straight path. (al-Ḥajj 22:54)

Translation: And so that those endowed with knowledge may recognise that this Qurʾān is the very Truth from your Lord — and they believe in it, and their hearts bow humbly and submissively before it. And truly Allah guides those who believe to the straight path.

Commentary: The same divine permission that is a fitna for the diseased heart becomes a source of deeper īmān and humility for the person of knowledge. The scholars and the faithful see the abrogation of Satanic whispers as further proof of the divine protection of revelation. Their hearts tukhbitu — they become even more humble and submissive before the Truth.

وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَقِيمٍ

Wa lā yazālu alladhīna kafarū fī miryatin minhu ḥattā taʾtiyahumu al-sāʿatu baghtatan aw yaʾtiyahum ʿadhābu yawmin ʿaqīm

And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it until the Hour comes upon them suddenly, or the punishment of a barren day comes upon them. (al-Ḥajj 22:55)

Translation: The disbelievers will continue in doubt and scepticism regarding the Qurʾān until the Hour overtakes them suddenly and unexpectedly, or the punishment of the barren day (yawm ʿaqīm) descends upon them.

Commentary: Yawm ʿaqīm — "the barren day" — is interpreted as the Day of Judgement, or possibly the day of the decisive Battle of Badr. It is "barren" because it has no tomorrow — no morning comes after it for those who are destroyed. The disbeliever's doubt and denial persist until the very end; there is no self-correction, no repentance, no reversal — only sudden catastrophe.

الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

Al-mulku yawmaʾidhin lillāhi yaḥkumu baynahum fa-alladhīna āmanū wa ʿamilū al-ṣāliḥāti fī jannāti al-naʿīm

The dominion on that day belongs to Allah; He will judge between them. As for those who believed and did righteous deeds, they will be in the Gardens of Bliss. (al-Ḥajj 22:56)

Translation: On that day all sovereignty and dominion belongs solely to Allah; He will judge between the various communities. Those who believed and performed righteous deeds will abide in the Gardens of Bliss.

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Wa alladhīna kafarū wa kadhdhabū bi-āyātinā fa-ulāʾika lahum ʿadhābun muhīn

And those who disbelieved and denied Our signs — for them is a humiliating punishment. (al-Ḥajj 22:57)

Translation: And those who disbelieved and rejected Our signs — for them awaits a degrading, humiliating punishment.

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قُتِلُوا أَوْ مَاتُوا لَيَرْزُقَنَّهُمُ اللَّهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

Wa alladhīna hājarū fī sabīli allāhi thumma qutilū aw mātū la-yarzuqannahumu allāhu rizqan ḥasanan wa inna allāha la-huwa khayru al-rāziqīn

And those who emigrated in the path of Allah and then were killed or died — Allah will surely provide for them with a good provision. And verily Allah is the best of providers. (al-Ḥajj 22:58)

Translation: And those who emigrated (hijra) in the path of Allah — leaving their homes and properties for the sake of the faith — and were then martyred in battle or died naturally: Allah will surely provide them with the most noble and generous provision [in Paradise]. And truly Allah is the best of all providers.

Commentary: The hijra (emigration in the path of Allah) is one of the most exalted acts in Islam. Those who made this sacrifice — whether they subsequently died in battle as martyrs or passed away naturally — are guaranteed a rizq ḥasan from Allah: a beautiful, generous, and honourable provision in the Hereafter. The specific mention of both categories — qutilū (killed in battle) and mātū (died naturally) — ensures that no sincere emigrant is excluded from this divine promise.

لَيُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ مُدْخَلًا يَرْضَوْنَهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَلِيمٌ حَلِيمٌ

La-yudkhilannahum mudkhalan yarḍawnahu wa inna allāha la-ʿalīmun ḥalīm

He will surely admit them to an admittance that pleases them. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Forbearing. (al-Ḥajj 22:59)

Translation: Allah will admit them to an abode that will completely satisfy and please them. And verily Allah is All-Knowing and All-Forbearing.

Commentary: Mudkhalan yarḍawnahu — an entry that will fill them with delight and satisfaction. This describes Paradise in terms of the pleasure of its inhabitants — whatever they behold will fill them with joy. Al-ʿAlīm (All-Knowing) and al-Ḥalīm (All-Forbearing, Patient) are two of the most beautiful names of Allah; they appear here to assure the emigrants that their patience and sacrifice are fully known to Allah, and He is forbearing with them.

ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ عَاقَبَ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبَ بِهِ ثُمَّ بُغِيَ عَلَيْهِ لَيَنصُرَنَّهُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ

Dhālika wa man ʿāqaba bi-mithli mā ʿūqiba bihi thumma bughiya ʿalayhi la-yanṣurannahu allāhu inna allāha la-ʿafuwwun ghafūr

That [is so]. And whoever retaliates with the equivalent of that with which he was afflicted, and is then wronged again, Allah will surely aid him. Verily Allah is All-Pardoning, All-Forgiving. (al-Ḥajj 22:60)

Translation: That is so. And whoever retaliates in proportion to the harm done to him, and is then subjected to further aggression — Allah will most certainly come to his aid and support him. Truly Allah is All-Pardoning and All-Forgiving.

Commentary: This verse establishes the principle of proportional retaliation (qiṣāṣ in the broad sense): one may respond to harm with equivalent harm — not more. But if even after proportional retaliation the aggressor persists in further wrongdoing, Allah Himself becomes the defender of the oppressed. ʿAfuwwun Ghafūr — All-Pardoning and All-Forgiving — encourages the injured party toward forgiveness and pardon if they choose it, for Allah Himself pardons greatly.

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

Dhālika bi-anna allāha yūliju al-layla fī al-nahāri wa yūliju al-nahāra fī al-layli wa anna allāha samīʿun baṣīr

That is because Allah causes the night to enter into the day and causes the day to enter into the night. And verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (al-Ḥajj 22:61)

Translation: All of this divine support and protection is because Allah causes the night to merge into the day and causes the day to merge into the night — He controls all transitions, all powers, all dominions — and Allah is All-Hearing and All-Seeing.

Commentary: The divine management of the alternation of night and day is presented as a proof of the divine omnipotence that underpins the promise of divine support. Just as Allah controls the great cycles of creation effortlessly, so too does He control the outcomes of human conflict, supporting the oppressed believers against their oppressors. Samīʿun Baṣīr — He hears the cries of the wronged and sees everything that is done.

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ

Dhālika bi-anna allāha huwa al-ḥaqqu wa anna mā yadʿūna min dūnihi huwa al-bāṭilu wa anna allāha huwa al-ʿAliyyu al-Kabīr

That is because Allah — He is the Truth, and what they invoke apart from Him is the falsehood, and verily Allah — He is the Most High, the Most Great. (al-Ḥajj 22:62)

Translation: All of this is because Allah — He alone is the Real, the True. And whatever they invoke besides Him — those false deities — is sheer falsehood and emptiness. And truly Allah is the Most High (al-ʿAlī), the Most Great (al-Kabīr).

Commentary: Al-Ḥaqq is one of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, meaning the Absolutely Real, the Self-Subsisting Truth. All false deities are bāṭil — null and void, without real existence by themselves. They are mere projections of human imagination or the whisperings of Shayṭān. Against this, Allah is al-ʿAlī — Supremely Exalted above all — and al-Kabīr — Supremely Great.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَتُصْبِحُ الْأَرْضُ مُخْضَرَّةً إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ

Alam tara anna allāha anzala mina al-samāʾi māʾan fa-tuṣbiḥu al-arḍu mukhḍarratan inna allāha laṭīfun khabīr

Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and the earth becomes green? Verily Allah is Subtle (Laṭīf), All-Aware (Khabīr). (al-Ḥajj 22:63)

Translation: Have you not seen — do you not reflect — that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and the earth turns green and verdant? Truly Allah is All-Subtle (Laṭīf) — penetrating all things with His knowledge and grace — and All-Aware (Khabīr).

Commentary: From theology the Qurʾān turns to the natural world as a continuing proof of divine power. The dead earth that springs to life with rain is a direct analogy for the resurrection of the dead. Laṭīfun Khabīr — Subtle and All-Aware: the Laṭīf is He whose workings are too fine and gentle to be fully perceived by human senses, yet whose impact is unmistakable — as the greening of earth after rain.

لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

Lahu mā fī al-samāwāti wa mā fī al-arḍi wa inna allāha la-huwa al-Ghaniyyu al-Ḥamīd

To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is on the earth. And verily Allah — He is the All-Sufficient (al-Ghanī), the All-Praiseworthy (al-Ḥamīd). (al-Ḥajj 22:64)

Translation: To Allah belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. And truly Allah is the All-Sufficient — needing nothing from anyone — and the All-Praiseworthy.

Commentary: Al-Ghanī (the Self-Sufficient, the Absolutely Free of Need) and al-Ḥamīd (the Praiseworthy in all His acts) — these two names together affirm that Allah does not create, sustain, or command out of any need; everything He does is inherently praiseworthy.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Alam tara anna allāha sakhkhara lakum mā fī al-arḍi wa al-fulka tajrī fī al-baḥri bi-amrihi wa yumsiku al-samāʾa an taqaʿa ʿalā al-arḍi illā bi-idhnihi inna allāha bil-nāsi la-raʾūfun raḥīm

Do you not see that Allah has subjected to you what is on earth, and the ships that sail the sea by His command? And He holds back the sky from falling upon the earth, except by His permission. Verily Allah is Compassionate and Merciful toward humankind. (al-Ḥajj 22:65)

Translation: Do you not see that Allah has subjected to your service all that is on earth, and ships sailing through the sea by His command? And He holds the sky from falling upon the earth save by His permission. Truly Allah is full of compassion and mercy toward humankind.

Commentary: Three further signs of divine power and mercy are enumerated: the subjugation of the earth and its resources to human use; ships traversing the sea — the sea that would swallow all ships if Allah did not make it navigable; and the sky held up above the earth by divine will alone — were it to fall, nothing would survive. Yet Allah, in His mercy (Raʾūfun Raḥīm), sustains all of these blessings continually.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ

Wa huwa alladhī aḥyākum thumma yumītukum thumma yuḥyīkum inna al-insāna la-kafūr

And He is the One who gave you life, then will cause you to die, then will bring you back to life. Verily the human being is deeply ungrateful. (al-Ḥajj 22:66)

Translation: And He is the One who gave you life, then will cause you to die, and then will bring you back to life again. Truly, the human being is profoundly ungrateful.

Commentary: The trilogy of life, death, and resurrection is the clearest proof of divine omnipotence. Allah gave life from nothing; He takes it at the appointed time; He will restore it on the Day of Resurrection. Inna al-insāna la-kafūr — yet the human being is deeply, excessively ungrateful. Despite all these blessings and this comprehensive divine nurturing, humans turn away.

لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا هُمْ نَاسِكُوهُ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

Li-kulli ummatin jaʿalnā mansakan hum nāsikūhu fa-lā yunāziʿunnaka fī al-amri wa udʿu ilā rabbika innaka la-ʿalā hudan mustaqīm

For every community We have appointed a rite which they observe. So let them not dispute with you in the matter. And call to your Lord. Verily you are on clear, straight guidance. (al-Ḥajj 22:67)

Translation: For every community We have appointed a specific rite and mode of worship which they follow. So let them not contest and quarrel with you in this matter [of the forms of worship]. Call people to your Lord. Truly you are upon clear, straight guidance.

Commentary: Each prophetic community had its divinely ordained forms of worship. The differences in outward form are by divine design; the essence — worship of the One God — is universal. The Prophetﷺis told not to be drawn into futile disputation about these differences but to continue the call (daʿwa) to his Lord with the confidence of one who stands on unshakeable guidance.

وَإِن جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Wa in jādalūka fa-quli allāhu aʿlamu bi-mā taʿmalūn

And if they dispute with you, say: "Allah is most knowing of what you do." (al-Ḥajj 22:68)

Translation: And if they persist in disputing with you, say [O Muḥammadﷺ]: "Allah knows most fully what you all are doing."

اللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

Allāhu yaḥkumu baynakum yawma al-qiyāmati fīmā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūn

Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which you used to differ. (al-Ḥajj 22:69)

Translation: Allah will deliver the final judgement between you on the Day of Resurrection regarding all the matters in which you differed.

Commentary: The disputes between communities — about the nature of God, the validity of the prophets, the forms of worship — will all be definitively resolved by divine judgement on the Last Day. Until then, the duty of the Prophetﷺand the believers is to maintain their position on truth and invite others to it.

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ

Alam taʿlam anna allāha yaʿlamu mā fī al-samāʾi wa al-arḍi inna dhālika fī kitābin inna dhālika ʿalā allāhi yasīr

Do you not know that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and the earth? Verily all of that is in a record. Verily that is easy for Allah. (al-Ḥajj 22:70)

Translation: Do you not know — have you not been informed — that Allah knows everything that is in the heavens and on earth? All of it is recorded in a book [the Preserved Tablet, al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ]. And truly all of this is easy for Allah.

Commentary: The divine omniscience encompasses every atom in the cosmos. Everything is recorded in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ — the Preserved Tablet — with divine precision. Nothing escapes the divine record; nothing is too small or too great for the divine knowledge. And for Allah, the recording, knowing, and judging of all of this is yasīr — utterly easy.

وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَمَا لَيْسَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

Wa yaʿbudūna min dūni allāhi mā lam yunazzil bihi sulṭānan wa mā laysa lahum bihi ʿilmun wa mā lil-ẓālimīna min naṣīr

And they worship, apart from Allah, that for which He has not sent down any authority, and of which they have no knowledge. And for the wrongdoers there is no helper. (al-Ḥajj 22:71)

Translation: And they worship, besides Allah, that for which no divine sanction has ever been revealed, and about which they have no knowledge whatsoever. And for the wrongdoers there is no helper.

Commentary: The worshippers of false deities have neither divine authorisation nor knowledge on their side. Their worship is pure conjecture, inherited custom, and blind imitation. Wa mā lil-ẓālimīna min naṣīr — no helper awaits the wrongdoers, neither in this world nor in the next.

وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنكَرَ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكُمُ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

Wa idhā tutlā ʿalayhim āyātunā bayyinātin taʿrifu fī wujūhi alladhīna kafarū al-munkara yakādūna yasṭūna bil-ladhīna yatlūna ʿalayhim āyātinā qul a-fa-unabbiʾukum bi-sharrin min dhālikumu al-nāru waʿadahā allāhu alladhīna kafarū wa biʾsa al-maṣīr

And when Our clear signs are recited to them, you recognise in the faces of those who disbelieve the denial — they almost attack those who recite Our signs to them. Say: "Shall I tell you of something worse than that? The Fire — Allah has promised it to those who disbelieve — and what a wretched destination!" (al-Ḥajj 22:72)

Translation: When Our clear and luminous āyāt are recited to the disbelievers, you can see the rejection (munkar) written all over their faces — they nearly leap upon the reciters of Our verses in violent rage. Say [O Muḥammadﷺ]: "Shall I tell you of something worse than your anger at the recitation? It is the Fire — which Allah has promised to the disbelievers. What a terrible destination!"

Commentary: The scene is vivid: the disbelievers, upon hearing the Qurʾānic recitation, become visibly agitated with hatred and rage — their faces cloud over and they come close to physically attacking the reciters. This extreme reaction to the truth is itself a sign of the diseased heart. But the Prophetﷺis instructed to counter their expressed rage with an even more powerful warning: what is truly to be feared is not their anger, but the Fire that awaits them.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ

Yā ayyuhā al-nāsu ḍuriba mathalun fa-istamiʿū lahu inna alladhīna tadʿūna min dūni allāhi lan yakhluqū dhubābatan wa law ijtamaʿū lahu wa in yaslab humu al-dhubābu shayʾan lā yastanqidhūhu minhu ḍaʿufa al-ṭālibu wa al-maṭlūb

O humankind! A parable is struck — so listen to it. Those whom you call upon besides Allah will never create even a fly, even if they gathered together for it. And if a fly should snatch something from them, they could not recover it from it. How weak are the seeker and the sought! (al-Ḥajj 22:73)

Translation: O people! A parable is presented — so listen to it carefully! Those you invoke besides Allah — all of them together, pooling all their supposed powers — could not create a single fly. And if a fly were to snatch something from their offerings, they could not even recover it from the fly. How utterly feeble is the worshipper (ṭālib) and the worshipped (maṭlūb) — the devotee and the false deity — both are completely powerless!

Commentary: This is one of the most devastating and elegant refutations of polytheism in the Qurʾān. The fly is among the smallest and most despised of creatures. All the false gods of the world, gathered together, cannot create one. And if a fly takes away a morsel from the offering placed before an idol, the idol cannot retrieve it. The contrast with the Creator of all things — including flies — is devastating. This is a rhetorical mujāhada (contest of argument) in which the false deities are utterly crushed even by the weakest imaginable comparison.

مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Mā qadarū allāha ḥaqqa qadrihī inna allāha la-qawiyyun ʿazīz

They have not estimated Allah with His true estimation. Verily Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. (al-Ḥajj 22:74)

Translation: They have not given Allah His rightful and true measure of reverence and appreciation. Truly Allah is All-Powerful (al-Qawī) and All-Mighty (al-ʿAzīz).

Commentary: Mā qadarū allāha ḥaqqa qadrihī — they have failed to truly appreciate and venerate Allah as He deserves. Anyone who worships a false deity, or imagines that Allah has partners or rivals, has fundamentally misunderstood and undervalued the divine majesty. Allah is al-Qawī — possessing all power — and al-ʿAzīz — Invincible and Majestic.

اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

Allāhu yaṣṭafī mina al-malāʾikati rusulan wa mina al-nāsi inna allāha samīʿun baṣīr

Allah selects messengers from the angels and from the people. Verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (al-Ḥajj 22:75)

Translation: Allah chooses and selects messengers from among the angels, and from among human beings. Truly Allah is All-Hearing and All-Seeing.

Commentary: The selection (iṣṭifāʾ) of messengers is an exclusive divine prerogative. Allah chooses whom He will — from the angelic realm (such as Jibrīl, upon him be peace) and from humanity (the prophets and messengers, upon them all be peace). Samīʿun Baṣīr — He hears and sees all, and His choices are informed by complete knowledge of every soul.

يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأَمُورُ

Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum wa ilā allāhi turjaʿu al-umūr

He knows what is before them and what is behind them. And to Allah are all matters returned. (al-Ḥajj 22:76)

Translation: Allah knows what is before the messengers and what is behind them — their past, their future, and all that surrounds them. And to Allah are all affairs ultimately returned.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū irkaʿū wa usjudū wa uʿbudū rabbakum wa ifʿalū al-khayra laʿallakum tufliḥūn

O you who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves and worship your Lord and do good, that you may succeed. (al-Ḥajj 22:77)

Translation: O believers! Perform the rukūʿ (bowing) and the sujūd (prostration); worship your Lord with total devotion and humility; and do good deeds in all aspects of life — so that you may attain success and salvation.

Commentary: This verse contains a sajda tilāwa (a verse of prostration), as noted by Imām al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him) and others. The command encompasses all elements of ṣalāt — bowing, prostrating, worship — plus a general injunction to do good. The conditional laʿallakum tufliḥūn — "so that you may succeed" — links action to outcome: these four acts of devotion and goodness are the path to true falāḥ (success, salvation, flourishing).

وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ

Wa jāhidū fī allāhi ḥaqqa jihādihī huwa ijtabākum wa mā jaʿala ʿalaykum fī al-dīni min ḥarajin millata abīkum Ibrāhīma huwa sammākumu al-muslimīna min qablu wa fī hādhā li-yakūna al-rasūlu shahīdan ʿalaykum wa takūnū shuhadāʾa ʿalā al-nāsi fa-aqīmū al-ṣalāta wa ātū al-zakāta wa iʿtaṣimū billāhi huwa mawlākum fa-niʿma al-mawlā wa niʿma al-naṣīr

And strive in Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed any hardship upon you in the religion — the community of your forefather Ibrāhīm. He named you "Muslims" before, and in this [the Qurʾān], that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and that you may be witnesses over humankind. So establish the prayer and give the zakāt and hold fast to Allah. He is your Patron — what an excellent Patron and what an excellent Helper! (al-Ḥajj 22:78)

Translation: Strive and struggle in the path of Allah as is His right to be striven for. He has chosen and selected you [as the best community] and has not imposed any hardship or difficulty in the religion for you — this is the religion of your father Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). He — Allah — named you "Muslims" (al-muslimīn) before this [in the earlier scriptures] and in this Qurʾān, so that the Messengerﷺmay bear witness over you and you may bear witness over all of humanity. So establish the ṣalāt, pay the zakāt, and hold firmly to Allah. He is your Patron and Protector — what an excellent Patron, and what an excellent Helper!

Commentary: This magnificent closing verse of Sūrat al-Ḥajj is a comprehensive charter of Islamic identity and mission. Key points:

1. Jihād ḥaqqa jihādihī — the full and proper striving in the path of Allah: striving of the heart against the ego (nafs) and its desires, striving with knowledge and teaching, striving with wealth and effort, and when necessary, striving with one's life in defence of the faith. This is a multi-dimensional command.

2. Ijtabākum — He has chosen you. The Muslim community has been divinely selected as the ummat al-waṣaṭ (the middle, balanced community), charged with being witnesses over all humanity.

3. Mā jaʿala ʿalaykum fī al-dīni min ḥaraj — No hardship has been placed on you in the religion. Islam is a religion of ease, moderation, and mercy. Every difficult ruling has an istisnāʾ (exception) and every hardship has its rukhṣa (dispensation).

4. Millata abīkum Ibrāhīm — this is the religion of your forefather Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). The connection to the Ibrāhīmic tradition legitimises and universalises Islam.

5. Huwa sammākumu al-muslimīn — Allah named you Muslims, and this name appears both in the earlier scriptures and in this Qurʾān. The name Muslim (one who submits, surrenders) is the divinely given identity of the believers.

6. The dual role of witness: the Prophetﷺbears witness over the Muslim community; the Muslim community bears witness over all humanity. This is the mission of the Umma.

7. The triple practical command that closes the sūra: establish the ṣalāt — with its full outward and inward requirements; give the zakāt — purify your wealth through obligatory giving; and hold fast to Allah (iʿtiṣimū billāh) — seek refuge and strength in Him alone.

Fa-niʿma al-mawlā wa niʿma al-naṣīr — What an excellent Patron and what an excellent Helper! A final declaration of trust and reliance upon Allah Most High, closing the sūra on a note of confident tawakkul (reliance on Allah).

[This page concludes Sūrat al-Ḥajj. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) notes that this is a sūra of great spiritual density, combining warnings about the Day of Resurrection, proofs of divine power in creation, the rites of Ḥajj and sacrifice, the permission for armed defence, consolation for the emigrants, and a comprehensive final summoning to the full practice of Islam.]

Sūrat al-Muʾminūn